Civics Whiz: Craft + Connect for Change!

All grades Project 12 weeks

Civics Whiz: Craft + Connect for Change!

Andrew R

T4.8

1.T1.10

6-8.WCA.7

8.T4.6

9-10.WCA.7

+ 7 more

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The Challenge

The challenge is to engage with local governance processes and contribute to civic decision-making in meaningful ways that address community needs. Understanding the mechanisms of influence and representation is crucial to ensuring that diverse voices are heard and considered in public policy development.

Challenge Question

How can students actively engage and influence their local community or school governance to address a specific issue they are passionate about, while effectively navigating the decision-making process and building support among stakeholders?

Standards

[Massachusetts] T4.8 - With other students, identify a significant public policy issue in the community, gather information about that issue, fairly evaluate the various points of view and competing interests, discuss policy options as a group and seek to arrive at a consensus or compromise agreement, examine ways of participating in the decision-making process about the issue, and draft one or more position papers, oral or multimedia presentations on how the issue may be resolved.
[Massachusetts] 1.T1.10 - Evaluate the qualities of a good citizen or member of the community, drawing on examples from history, literature, informational texts, news reports, and personal experiences.
[Massachusetts] 6-8.WCA.7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
[Massachusetts] 8.T4.6 - Evaluate information related to elections (e.g., policy positions and debates among candidates, campaign financing, campaign advertising, influence of news media and social media, and data relating to voter turnout in elections).
[Massachusetts] 9-10.WCA.7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
[Massachusetts] NML5.5 - Collaborate on a substantial project with outside experts and others through online digital tools (e.g., public policy debate, community service learning project, capstone project.
[Massachusetts] 9-10.SCLA.1 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on discipline-specific topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
[Massachusetts] 1.T1.8 - Demonstrate understanding that members of a town, city, or nation in the United States are called citizens, and that their rights and responsibilities include (a) electing leaders who serve fixed terms (b) paying attention to the leader's actions, and (c) deciding whether or not to re-elect them on the basis of how well they have served citizens.
[Massachusetts] 11-12.SCLA.1 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on discipline-specific topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
[Massachusetts] 8.T4.7 - Apply knowledge of the meaning of leadership and the qualities of good leaders to evaluate political leaders at the community, the state and national levels.

Competencies

Design Solutions - Identify an issue or design challenge (DS.1)
Design Solutions - Build models, prototypes, or action plans (DS.2)

Learning Partners and Clients

Students will collaborate with local town boards, nonprofits, and businesses in Sheffield, MA, such as the Sheffield Historical Society and the Sheffield Conservation Commission, to gather insights and support for their chosen civic issues. They can also connect with regional organizations like the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation to understand community needs and potential funding opportunities. Each student group will engage with these learning partners to obtain feedback, resources, and guidance, ensuring their projects are grounded in real-world contexts and community involvement.

Phase Outcomes

Phase	Learning Outcome
Discover	I can become knowledgeable about local issues by actively participating in activities that help me identify challenges and their root causes in my community.
Examine	I can investigate the factors influencing the problem by engaging in research tasks that include analyzing multiple sources, conducting surveys, and examining different viewpoints related to the issue.
Engineer	I can develop a practical solution by designing and constructing a viable plan that addresses the specific needs of those impacted by the problem.
Do	I can implement the proposed solution and gather data on its effectiveness by testing it in the real world and observing its impact before presenting my findings.
Share	I can share my project outcomes and personal insights through an engaging presentation to community members, highlighting both my learning journey and the personal growth I experienced throughout the project.

Learning Journey

Discover

Students will identify and investigate a civic issue relevant to their community, connecting their personal experiences to the challenge and understanding the importance of active civic engagement.

Days 1 - 3